Nick Nolte's acting style is nothing more than warmed-over Pat Hingle outtakes.
Nick is an excellent actor with plenty of performances to prove it beyond any shadow of a doubt. In all of the outstanding ensemble cast roles of "The Thin Red Line", Nolte's delivery of Colonel Tall was a tour de force and easily worthy of an oscar.
Spooky, scorro. After reading the post you are responding to here, I came extremely close to posting a simple "Thin Red Line?" but decided not to. Lo and behold, you read my mind. I agree that Nolte stood out with his fascinatingly complex character study and marvelous acting choices. He sizzles in every scene he's in.
Considering that Nolte was surrounded with bland performers like Jon Cusack and Jim Caviezel with Hans Zimmer's leaning-on-a-Casio score droning on in a New Age take on WWII, Nolte's ranting/drooling/overacting had to be noticed. This, the same actor who couldn't work up any on screen tears in his "big emotional catharsis" scene in The Prince of Tides and who openly pouted when he lost the Oscar that year--I just find very little to like about him.
This, the same actor who couldn't work up any on screen tears in his "big emotional catharsis" scene in The Prince of Tides and who openly pouted when he lost the Oscar that year--I just find very little to like about him.
I'm inclined to agree. But I also think that the competency of his performance in that scene, whether good or bad, can be laid squarely on La Streisand's shoulders. We'll never know if that was the best take or, indeed, how many takes were done before she said "Cut". It could have been an amazing scene. Instead, we get a facial grimace and sobbing- the likes of which could have been more convincingly pulled off by practically anyone.
I guess it's quite telling that ALL my top 5 favourite actors have been known for their wonderful takes on "villain" roles - Jack Nicholson, Anthony Hopkins, Ian Holm, Gary Oldman and Jeff Goldblum.
Some have been over-the-top, some have been restrained, some have been realistic, some veer more towards the loonie and so on, but the scope and depth these characters have injected is impressive indeed - from Joker to Satan to cannibals to Dracula to androids to man-insects.
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned (sorry if it has) but Nicole Kidman has had a few juicy villainess roles worth mentioning. Bill Pullman's conniving wife in MALICE and another manipulative sexpot in TO DIE FOR, though with a more comedic twist, are two that come to mind. She plays them with all the verve she puts into her standard heroin roles, and is all the more effective as a baddie because of how convinvingly she starts out (appearing) as a sweet kid. I've always enjoyed her performances (plus she was smart enough to dump Tom Cruise).
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned (sorry if it has) but Nicole Kidman has had a few juicy villainess roles worth mentioning. Bill Pullman's conniving wife in MALICE and another manipulative sexpot in TO DIE FOR, though with a more comedic twist, are two that come to mind. She plays them with all the verve she puts into her standard heroin roles, and is all the more effective as a baddie because of how convinvingly she starts out (appearing) as a sweet kid. I've always enjoyed her performances (plus she was smart enough to dump Tom Cruise).
She has a wonderful twist in Lars von Trier's DOGVILLE - from aching victim to completely bad-ass killer without morals towards the end. So she definitely has acting chops, even though I've never really been a big fan.
Meryl Streep's stunning performance in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (yes, I know she was mentioned in the original post) forever ruined the reputation of Hillary Clinton in my book. Whenever I see the latter on TV now, I think she IS the same person. I thought "Hillary!" the very first second I saw Streep's senator character in the movie.
Good comments 'bout Hanks, Joan. He would never play a truly evil character; he's too chicken.
For me,the performances that make the strongest impression are ones wherethe villain is brutally violent but contains a certain wisdom; is insane, but is self-aware; and is profound butdoesn't spout movie cliches or 'wisecracks"
Only two really fit the bill for me: BRANDO AS COL. kURTZ Ledger as the JOKER
those performances are so mesmerizing i can barely believe it.
For me,the performances that make the strongest impression are ones wherethe villain is brutally violent but contains a certain wisdom; is insane, but is self-aware; and is profound butdoesn't spout movie cliches or 'wisecracks"
Only two really fit the bill for me: BRANDO AS COL. kURTZ Ledger as the JOKER
I would submit:
Tobin Bell as Jigsaw makes some very genuine and provocative rationalizations for his "killing" in the name of the salvation of one's gratitude towards life and payment for sins.
Our discussion about HUD reminded me of this topic. Some of our main actors are still avoiding the roles of evil villains. Still, in the 7 years since this topic, we can add a few more solid villains.
Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens plays Kylo Ren, and he kills an iconic character.
Peter Sarsgaard is a wretched man in the remake of The Magnificent Seven.
Finally, we now have the most reprehensible villain since Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs. That would be Jeffrey Dean Morgan as NEGAN!!(The Walking Dead.)
Sam Waterston as C.I.A. chief Richard Helms/James Angelton in NIXON . The scene where his eyes turn black is chilling esp. since his evil deeds were real not fiction.
(1)_450x10000.jpg)
